Russia May Abandon Leaky ISS Module After Standoff
Five astronauts spent hours sealed inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule earlier this month, not because of an emergency in progress, but because of what Russia was about to do with a saw.
Now, Roscosmos appears ready to give up on the module entirely.
Seven Years of Leaking, and a Repair Plan NASA Wouldn't Accept
The leak in question dates back to September 2019, when Roscosmos first identified cracks in the PrK — the vestibule connecting a docking port to the station's Russian Zvezda module.
The rate has only gotten worse. From roughly one pound of atmosphere lost per day in earlier years, the leak climbed to two pounds a day during cargo operations the week of June 1, according to NASA's official update.
That spike pushed Roscosmos toward a far more aggressive fix: cutting into a load-bearing bracket with a saw to better access the suspected leak source.
The Register reported that NASA explicitly warned the method "could have resulted in elevated risk to the structure in the area" — a direct objection to a plan its own partner agency had already decided to attempt.
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The Morning NASA Sent Astronauts Into the Lifeboat
On the morning Roscosmos planned to proceed with the cutting operation, NASA made a decision that had only rarely been made before in station history.
Five astronauts — four from the Crew-12 mission and one additional NASA astronaut — were ordered into the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked at the station and told to don their spacesuits, NBC News confirmed.
The protocol is known as a "safe haven" order — astronauts shelter in their designated return vehicle, ready to undock and return to Earth if conditions worsen.
It lasted roughly two hours.
Roscosmos paused the cutting operation in favor of further measurements and data review, and NASA "strongly supported that decision," according to the agency's own statement. The astronauts returned to normal operations once the immediate plan was called off.
Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who commanded the ISS in 2013, told the BBC that the leak rate had crossed what he described as a meaningful operational threshold — a notable assessment from someone who has lived through prior station emergencies firsthand.
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Why Roscosmos May Simply Close the Door on It
In the days since the standoff, the conversation between the two agencies appears to have shifted from "how do we fix this" to "what if we don't."
Gizmodo reported that ongoing deliberations between NASA and Roscosmos now suggest Russia has decided to decommission the PrK module altogether, citing a report from Ars Technica.
Sealing off the module would mean permanently isolating that section of Zvezda rather than continuing years of patch attempts that have included sealants, tape, and a Russian-made compound called Germetall-1.
NASA's acting associate administrator for space operations, Joel Montalbano, told the House Science Committee on March 25 that "there are no leaks" — a statement that, five weeks later, ISS Advisory Council chair Bob Cabana would have to qualify at an April 29 meeting after the leak resumed.
NASA's own safety panel has used the phrase "catastrophic failure" in public risk assessments of the PrK section, underscoring how seriously the agency now treats a problem it once believed had been resolved.
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What Walking Away From the Module Would Actually Mean
Decommissioning the PrK would not mean abandoning the ISS.
It would mean permanently sealing off one docking-adjacent section of the Russian segment — eliminating the leak by physically removing access to it, rather than continuing to chase a crack that keeps reappearing in new locations.
Hackaday's technical analysis noted that the Zvezda module has been in continuous orbit since 2000, and that closing off the PrK would reduce the station's available docking capacity on the Russian side, with operational implications for how future Progress and Soyuz vehicles connect to the station.
The ISS remains the largest human-made object in space, continuously inhabited since November 2, 2000, under a partnership spanning the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, and 11 European countries.
That partnership has survived disagreements before — including the years-long uncertainty over whether Russia would withdraw from the station entirely after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
What it has not previously survived is one partner agency unilaterally attempting a structural repair the other explicitly warned against, then walking back the attempt under pressure.
Whether NASA and Roscosmos can agree on a permanent path forward — sealing the module, finding a different repair, or something else entirely — remains the open question neither agency has answered publicly.
Key Takeaways
- A leak in the ISS's PrK vestibule, first identified in September 2019, has worsened to roughly two pounds of atmosphere lost per day as of early June 2026.
- NASA ordered a "safe haven" evacuation alert on June 5, sheltering five astronauts in a SpaceX Dragon capsule for roughly two hours, after Roscosmos planned to cut into a load-bearing bracket.
- Roscosmos paused the cutting operation; NASA said it "strongly supported" the decision to stand down.
- Reports now suggest Roscosmos may decommission the PrK module entirely rather than continue repair attempts.
- NASA's own safety panel has used the term "catastrophic failure" in public risk assessments of the affected section.
- The Zvezda module has been in continuous orbit since 2000; sealing off the PrK would reduce Russian-segment docking capacity going forward.
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Rachel Hayes reports on international affairs, geopolitics, and breaking world news. Based in London, she covers stories shaping the UK and global political landscape.
